Today's Opinions

We would like to respond to Mark Burnett’s announcement as a candidate for Grayson County sheriff. We would like to clarify some statements that have been made against Sheriff Richard Vaughan.
Concerning Mr. Burnett’s open door policy, Mr. Vaughan’s door is always open and he does return calls. If you go there and he is not there, it is because he is out working on cases, and not just sitting behind a desk waiting on things to come to him.

The idea sounds good at first — an ethical Carroll County government is just what everybody wants.
How could anybody disagree with that?
As usual, the devil is in the details, specifically number 18 in the code of ethics, which tells all general county representatives and citizens who volunteer on boards, commissions, authorities, committees and whatnot to refer all media inquiries to the county administrator’s office.

This letter was addressed to Del. Mark Cole (R-Spotsylvania) and was copied to The Gazette. The author described himself under his signature as “convicted felon and former Carroll County administrator.”

I read with sadness your opposition to Senate Joint Resolution 284, to allow an opportunity to amend the Virginia Constitution to allow automatic restoration of civil rights to nonviolent felons once they complete their sentences.
Being a nonviolent felon, I know firsthand the disgrace and prejudice associated with a felony conviction.

I've often regarded the Readers’ Hotline as being similar to driving by a traffic accident — can't help but look, but after doing so I don't feel so good.
The comment in the Feb. 2 edition was over the line and I feel The Gazette showed poor taste in printing it.
I'm referring to the call by someone implying Mr. Goldwasser addressing his concerns to the Carroll supervisors, as "wanting to control everybody, vindictive, angry and hostile" and then even dragging his wife into it!

Do you remember when you could buy a five-pound can of coffee for $4? Now you can buy a five-pound can with two pounds and 2.5 ounces of coffee for only $7 to $9 per can.
Now that’s a good deal!
Do you remember the Pepsi Cola jingle: Pepsi Cola, that’s a lot, twice as much for a nickel, five cents, too (12 ounces). Pepsi Cola is the drink for you.
What do you pay for a can now!
Do you remember when a two-pound loaf of bread cost 30 cents? Now a one-pound loaf is $1 in the best price in town.

In the Jan. 21 edition, you quoted Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Webb Flowers as saying, "I don't believe there's a single board of supervisors in the state of Virginia that have rejected an application."
Flowers needs to be informed that Grayson County holds that distinction of rejecting an application.
In November 2003, the Grayson Board of Supervisors rejected the very first (and I believe the only) application it received.
It was for a forestal district of 250.96 acres involving two landowners. The reasons given were:

Mike Goldwasser is a friend of mine. Anyone who knows Mike, knows he can be passionate about issues involving his community and the openness and fairness of local government.
Mike is not afraid to step forward and ask questions or make statements that many of us wish we had the nerve to verbalize publicly.
Mike knows he sets himself up for criticism and ridicule, but is willing to take the heat for what he thinks is right.
The Carroll County Board of Supervisors erred when it did not allow him his three minutes.

In response to the ill-informed Readers’ Hotline comment, “Misplaced anger,” during the 38 years that Mike and I have been married, I have never seen him lose his temper or lose his sense of fairness.
By temperament, he is compassionate, caring and controlled.
In various organizations, he has been pressured to be on their board because of his ability to listen objectively to all sides.
His clarity and fairness would have made him an excellent lawyer had he continued at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.